1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to data processors and more specifically, to embodiments of a data processor and data processing method that provide non-hierarchical computer security enhancements for context states.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need to provide enhanced computer security has increased exponentially in recent years. For purposes of this disclosure, computer security (also referred to as information security) refers to measures used to prevent unauthorized access to and/or corruption of a computer system and the data stored within that system, while allowing authorized access and/or use. That is, computer security refers to measures designed to protect the integrity, secrecy, and availability of a computer system and the data stored within the computer system from unauthorized access and/or use. Such measures are typically implemented in both hardware (e.g., protected memory in which page tables define the allowed access for a context to a given page of memory) and software (e.g., operating system software or software mandatory access control systems, which may include mathematical models for secrecy protection and integrity protection). Unfortunately, there are significant limitations associated with existing hardware-based and software-based computer security.